Switch-cluster-operating device.



N0. 70I.269. Patented May 27, I902.

H. HUBBELL.

SWITCH CLUSTER OPERATING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1901.) (N0 Mqdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 70|,269. Patented May 27, I902. H. HUBBELL.

SWITCH CLUSTER OPERATING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1901. I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES.

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HARVEY HUBBELL, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SWITCH-CLUSTER OPERATING DEVICE.

STPEGIFIUATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 01,269, dated May 2'7, 1902.

Application filed September 4, 1901. Serial No. 74,287- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY llUBBELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residingatBridgeport, county of Fairfield,State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Switch-Operating Device for Lamp-Clusters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide an operating device for clusters of electric switches and for chandeliers having two or more incandescent electric lamps, the special object in view being to provide an operating device that shall be simple, inexpensive, and practically impossible to get out of order and which will enable the operator to light the entire cluster of lamps simultaneously or to light any one of them independently or to light any two or more of them successively.

lVith these ends in view Ihave devised the novel operating device which I will 110w de scribe, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and using reference characters to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a six-light chandelier; Fig. 2, a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of one form of coupling member, the

switch connections appearing in section;

Fig. 3, a section of a form having a coverplate, the section-line being indicated by 3 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4., an elevation illustrating the application of my invention to twin lamps; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 6; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

My novel invention consists of three elements onlyto wit,a series of, switch connections, whichl have indicated by A, a coupling member, (indicated by 13,) and an operating connection, (indicated by C.) The switch connections and. the operating connection may be of any suitable style or material for example, cords or chains. As I preferably use chains for the purpose, I have illustrated a style of chain consisting of bars 13, having heads let at each end, and balls 15, having openings in opposite sides into which the heads are passed, after which the metal of the balls is closed inwardon the bars, so as to inclose the heads, thus making a strong, durable, and flexible connection especially adapted for use in connection with the type of incandescent-lamp socket-s illustrated and described in my Patent No. 649,308, dated May 8, 1900. The essential requirement for the coupling member is that it be so constructed'as to provide for simple and convenient attachment and detachment of the switch connections and the operating connection, so as to enable any person skilled or unskilled and without other tools than a screw-driver to adjust either or all of the connections should it be required or to put in new ones at any time. It is obvious that a coupling member may be constructed in variousdifferent ways, so as to accomplish the desired result more or less conveniently. I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to any special form of coupling member. In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated a coupling member the essential feature of which is a plate 16, having a series of holes 17, arranged in a circle, to receive the switch connections and a central hole 18 to receive the operating connection, these connections being locked to the plate by means of screws, whose heads 20 are provided with recesses 21. These screws engage threaded holes in the plate at just the required distance from holes 17 and 18,- so that the edges of the heads. of the screws will pass partly under the balls 15 or under any protuberances in a chain or knots in a cord, and thereby clamp the connections against the sides of the holes and lock the balls that are engaged by the heads against being pulled through the holes, it being unimportant whether the connections are passed through the plate from the upper side, as are the switch connections in Fig. 3, or from the lower side, as is the operating connection. When it is desired to release either of the connections, the operator gives the screw corresponding therewith a partial turn until recess 21 registers with the hole, in which position of the parts the connections will passreadily through the holes. The heads of the screws are fiat on the under side, so that whenturned down tight, requiring but a quarter-turn, more or less, they will be self-locking in place against all ordinary conditions of use. 22 denotes a cover-plate which 1 preferably use to cover the under side of plate 16. The coverplate is shown as connected to plate 16 by means of a tube 23, which extends through both plates and is headed down on the outer side of each. The operating connection is passed upward through this tube, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The manner in which the operating connection and the switch connections are lockedin place will be clearly understood from Fig.2, in which the switch connections are shown in section in connection with Fig. 3.

In the form of coupling member shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the switch connections engage slots 24 in aplate 25, preferably curved, as shown in the drawings. It will readily be understood from the drawings that the slots are madejust suitable size to receive the bars, but will not permit the heads to pass through. The ends of the switch connections on the under side of plate 25 are covered by a plate 26, also shown as curved, the edges of the plates meeting, so that the two form a fiattened globular body. 27 denotes a tube which passes through plates 25 and 26 centrally and is provided with a head 28, upon which plate 26 rests. The upper end of tube 27 extends above plate 25 and is threaded externally to receive a cap 29. In assembling the operating connection is passed upward through the tube, the upper ball or protuberance of the chain being above the upper end of the tube, where it is locked by means of a slotted disk 30, which rests upon the upper end of the tube, the slot receiving the upper bar of the chain and the upper ball resting upon the disk and being locked thereby against being pulled downward through the tube. After having secured the upper .ball by means of the disk the cap is turned down over the upper end of the tube, and the parts are thereby locked in place, as will be readily understood from Fig. 6. Plate 26 may then be locked in place, the concave side resting upon head 28. The lower balls or protuberances of the switch connections are then placed in engagement with slots in plate 25. Then said plate is passed over tube 27, the convex side upward and its edge resting against the edge of plate 26, after which the cap is turned to place, the use of tools being unnecessary.

In use when it is desired to light all of the lamps in a cluster or chandelier at once the operator simply pulls down upon the operating connection. Should it be desired to light any special lamp in the cluster, the operating connection is pulled directly away from said lamp-that is to say, if it was desired to light the lamp toward the left in Fig. 1 the operator would pull the operating connection toward the right, the switch connection of the lamp to be lighted being pulled in the opposite direction diametrically of plate 16. Should it be desired to light the next lamp, the direction of the pull on the operating connection would be changed in the proper direction, it being simply required that the switch connection of the lamp to be lighted be always pulled diametrically of plate 16 and in the direction away from the lamp, the direction of pull necessarily changing for each individual lamp that is to be lighted. The lamps are extinguished in precisely the same way that they are lighted, supposing, of course, that the lamps are provided with switches of the type described in my said formerpatent referred to-that is to'say,switches so constructed that it a lamp or lamps are lighted a pull upon the operating-cord will extinguish them and if they are not lighted a pull upon the operating-cord will light them simultaneously or successively, depending upon the manner in which the cord is pulled.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A switch-operating device for lamp-clusters comprising a plurality of switch connections, a single operating connection, and a freely-movable coupling member flexibly connecting the latter with the former, whereby the operating connection may be pulled to simultaneously operate a plurality of switches or may be deflected to one side and pulled to operate any one of the switches.

2. A switch-operating device for lamp-clusters comprising a plurality of switch connections, a single operating connection, and a freely-movable coupling member flexibly connecting the latter with the former, whereby the operating connection may be pulled to simultaneously operate a plurality of switches or may be deflected to one side and pulled to operate any one of the switches, said switch connections and operating connection being detachably secured to the coupling member.

. 3. A switch-operating device for lamp-clusters comprisinga series of switch connections, an operating connection and a coupling member, said coupling member consisting of a plate having holes to receive the connections and screws engaging the plate and having heads adapted to engage and lock the connections, said heads being provided with recesses which will permit the connections to pass when the recesses and the holes in the plate are in alinement. I

4. A switch-operating device fonlamp-clusters consisting of a series of switch connections, an operating connection and a coupling member, said coupling member comprising a plate having holes to receive the connections,

screws engaging the plate and having heads adapted to engage and lock the connections, said heads having recesses which will permit the connections to pass when in alinement with the holes, a cover-plate through which the operating connection passes and which covers the ends of the switch connections and means for securing said plates together.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY I-IUBBELL.

Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, S. W. ATHERTON. 

